Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Lee R. Martin" <lmartin AT vol.com>]

Dear Professor,
I have just finished reading your "Basic Facts and Theory..." from the
Tilburg Conference, and I have a couple of observations and questions.
1) I enjoyed the paper and find it very helpful.
2) On pages 173-74, you give examples of x-qatal as
     2.2 circumstance (or comparison), Ex. 19:2-3; Gen 4:2-5
     2.3 contrast (or specification), Job 32:2-3
Regarding the examples above, maybe we have different understandings of
the English "contrast," but I do not understand "contrast" to be the
equivalent of "specification."  I would prefer to call Gen 4:2-5
"contrast."  Abel was a shepherd, *but* Cain was a farmer; Cain brought
fruit *but* Abel brought firstlings; the Lord favored Abel, *but*  Cain
he did not favor.   It seems that Abel and Cain are contrasted in all
three statements. Some other examples of contrast (all from Judges) are
Judges 1:25; 3:18-19; 6:10; 7:6; 8:20; 11:17; 15:1; 20:32.  Do you see
these as contrast? or Circumstance?
I like the word "specification" for 2.3, but when we look at all the
examples together, couldn't 1.1; 1.2; and 2.3  be grouped under the
title "specification"?
1.1 specifies the answer to an imagined question "Who are you?"
1.2 specifies the answer to the explicit question "Who will do this?"
2.3 specifies the answer to the imagined question "Who is the object of
this anger?"
I would prefer the following descriptions for x-qatal:
1. Antecedent information (setting or previous actions) 2.1
2. Circumstance (contemporaneous actions) 2.2
3. Comparison / contrast Gen 4:2-5;
4. Oral Report 2.4
5. Specification (1.1; 1.2; and 2.3)

Only number 5 has emphasis on X.

--

Lee R. Martin
Pastor, Prospect Church of God, Cleveland, Tennessee
Instructor in Hebrew and Old Testament
Church of God Theological Seminary
http://www.vol.com/~lmartin/